In other words, they would not encounter him under normal circumstances. Otherwise, Menma would have a headache just thinking about it.
No one raised any objections.
Moonlight Hayate repeated the rules for the finals, then dismissed Menma and the others.
As soon as they exited the Forest of Death, they immediately saw Kakashi at the gate, smiling lazily and waving.
"Oh? Brother Kakashi, did you see that we all made it into the final round of the main competition?"
Naruto puffed out his chest proudly.
"Haha, of course I believed you would. Why else would I recommend you all to enter the Chūnin Exams?"
Kakashi replied lightly.
As he spoke, his single visible eye drifted briefly toward Sasuke. Naruto and Sakura didn't notice, but Menma saw it clearly.
Kakashi was worried about the Cursed Seal of Heaven branded onto Sasuke's neck. After they reached the tower the day before, Kakashi had appeared to retrieve Sasuke. Naruto and Sakura thought it was for treatment or examination—but Menma knew better.
With Konoha's current sealing expertise, it was impossible to remove a curse seal created by Orochimaru.
At Kakashi's level, the most he could do was temporarily suppress the chakra leak, and even that depended entirely on Sasuke's own self-control.
If Sasuke chose to seek that power—
No seal would hold.
Kakashi understood Sasuke's personality. His concern was natural.
Naruto and Sakura, however, had no way of knowing this. Neither Kakashi nor Sasuke would tell them—and Menma had no intention of interfering.
"Hey, Brother Kakashi, shouldn't you say something to celebrate that we all made it to the finals?"
Naruto grinned widely as he leaned in.
"Haha, you? Of course. Today you can eat and drink whatever you want. Consider it a celebration—and a reward."
Kakashi said as he ruffled Naruto's hair.
"Great! You said it, Brother Kakashi, so I'm not holding back today!"
Naruto cheered excitedly.
"Yes, yes, I said it."
Kakashi chuckled. Seeing Sasuke's calm expression unchanged, he silently felt relieved.
"Haha! Then get ready, Brother Kakashi! You okay with this, Sakura? Menma? Sasuke?"
Naruto asked, already bouncing with energy.
"Mm!"
"Hmph."
Sakura and Sasuke responded one after the other.
Menma, walking slightly behind, nodded with a faint smile.
The scene looked harmonious.
But none of them realized the unseen fracture beneath the surface—one that had already split them apart.
"All right! Let's go!"
Naruto's familiar shout echoed brightly.
The setting sun cast long shadows from the rooftops as the five walked side by side. Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura didn't know that this might be their last outing as the Seventh Team.
This wasn't false friendship, exactly—but in Menma's eyes, it was an empty, meaningless bond.
Sakura or Kakashi held no place in Menma's heart beneath the smile he wore.
Naruto was no exception.
Blood ties alone meant nothing.
Unlike Minato and Kushina—who had given him life in this world—this younger brother was fated to become his enemy.
After that night in the Land of Waves, Menma had severed his emotional connection to them entirely.
Only Sasuke was different, though their paths still depended on future choices. Nothing could be decided yet.
After completing this so-called celebration with a carefully maintained gentle façade, Menma returned to his residence—only to sense a presence waiting.
"Hmph, since you're already here, why hide?"
To Menma, the chakra signature stood out like a torch in the dark. The moment he approached his home, he sensed it clearly.
"Heh… heh… as expected, Orochimaru-sama didn't exaggerate. Menma-kun, at just twelve years old, to have this level of perception… is it the Nine-Tails' power? Or is it your natural talent as an Uzumaki?"
From the end of the dim corridor—where no one appeared to be standing—a slim figure stepped into view.
Silver hair.
Black-rimmed glasses.
And that practiced, deceitful smile.
It was Orochimaru's most trusted operative:
Yakushi Kabuto.
"Oh? A Konoha forehead protector, but carrying Orochimaru's chakra. So you're the spy planted here by Orochimaru, right?"
Menma said coldly, eyes sharp with scrutiny.
Kabuto's heart tightened instantly.
For a moment, it felt like he was being targeted by a predator.
Kabuto had grown extremely curious about Menma after receiving Orochimaru's instructions. As Orochimaru's top intelligence operative, Kabuto had full knowledge of Menma's abilities and history. Still, he never expected a boy so thoroughly trained by Konoha to suddenly shift so dramatically.
He even dared to meet Orochimaru alone—and proposed leaving Konoha to cooperate.
Kabuto didn't doubt Orochimaru's judgment.
It was simply human nature—until witnessing it firsthand, there would always be uncertainty.
But now…
From this single exchange, Kabuto knew clearly:
Uzumaki Menma was not a harmless child.
"Yes, just as you said, Menma-kun. I am a spy serving Orochimaru-sama. My name is Yakushi Kabuto. I look forward to working with you."
Kabuto bowed slightly, smiling politely.